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Lor-coherent! Yes I understood everything....all too well! Good luck with your fill. And hearing from someone banded helps me to be all the more determined...as you are with your new fill! Thank you. Big As Life-....okay....you are now my official "poster child" for the Lap-Band!....no......seriously....I want to be just that way! The doctor seems to say that but as you know....everyones experience is different! Thank you for your inspiration! Lynne....I am so sorry! Yes that stress would be tremendously. Stress I have not had to deal with yet! I'm praying for you. And what a success that now you don't have to start back with a weight gain of 20 plus pounds. I know that must've been hard. Mol.....message me!!!!! Anxious to see how it is going....just 3 days ahead of me! Good luck!

A lot of people revision to a bypass from a sleeve due to suffering ongoing GERD with medication doesn't help. Others due to weight gain. If you already suffer a lot with acid reflux you may want to chat with your surgeon. I suffered with acid reflux but mine was definitely related to the type of foods I was eating and the amount of food I was eating. If my food intake and portions were healthy I was fine. I discussed with my surgeon and I went with a sleeve. So far so good.

It is a hard question for me. Do I regret surgery? No. Would I do it again. I really don't know. Probably. Number one thing to take away from my post: do as VSG Anne has done. Put yourself into therapy from day one. This is a major life decision. Weigh not just yourself- but all your options. I would never recommend doing this if you are currently healthy and only mildly over weight. I do not believe BMI 40 is overweight enough for this drastic measure to be taken. There is a very good chance you will not lose much weight, or that you will regain if you go into this with the wrong mindset. Here are some pluses and minuses for me: Plus: I am able to walk and run without difficulty. I have a very physical job that I am now capable of doing much more easily. I can squat and jump etc which I could not do before. I do not sweat profusely like I used to. I look quite attractive and can wear almost any clothing I wish. Some people treat me differently (better) due to my appearance. I don't have to worry about binge eating huge amounts -my surgery stops me. If I eat I have very good energy. Cons: I'm uncomfortable eating 80% of foods. If I am not very careful I will vomit. I dump at least 3-4 times a week which involves excessive nausea and urination, drop in blood pressure, heart palpitations, sweating and flushing. It is brought on by foods high in both fat and sugar and is very hard to predict when it will Happen. I still have bad back pain. I still am hungry if I do not eat 1800 or more calories. I am very tired either from dumping, vomiting, or simply not eating enough. Eating causes a great deal of stress for me. If I eat too fast or don't chew enough I throw up and it is difficult for me to eat around people for this reason. I always become very stressed with family meals. I try but I still end up having to vomit at least 2-4 times a week. My eating disorder is triggered by all this. I have huge anxiety around eating and weight gain. I still don't feel thin enough. I have body dysmorphia from being overweight and I still feel overweight much of the time. I have bradycardia (low heart rate). I have lost half my hair. I am freezing cold all the time. I have to sleep with a heat pad. Some people treat me worse or differently when they don't know my history. They assume I am naturally thin. My dating life sucks because when men discover my baggage they don't want to deal with it, or they are freaked out when I don't eat enough. Or they become obsessed with me and fixate on my looks. I spend too much money on clothes lol. Just grains of salt for you all to think about. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Do you expect weight loss surgery to pull 100 pounds out of a magician’s hat? Our expectations of surgery can have a greater influence on our success or failure than you might think. Recently an acquaintance told me about seeing an obese man on TV who claimed that bariatric surgery hadn’t worked for him. “How can it NOT work?!” Patsy exclaimed. There’s no simple answer to that question. In the past I’ve written about why weight loss surgery fails (read the article here: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/page/index.html/_/support/why-does-weight-loss-surgery-fail-r88). Today I’d like to revisit the topic and focus on how our expectations affect the perception of as well as the ultimate success or failure of WLS. BARIATRIC MYTHOLOGY Some powerful myths influence our beliefs about and expectations of WLS. An especially insidious one that affects both bariatric patients and the general public is that WLS is essentially magic, requiring little or no effort on the patient’s part to achieve the desired weight loss. Hence the infamous and heinous phrase: “Weight loss surgery is taking the easy way out.” This magic myth has a corollary one that purports that the weight lost as a result of bariatric surgery is weight lost forever, again without any effort on the part of the patient. Sorry, but that’s not true either. While the whole point of bariatric surgery is to make weight loss easier, it does not eliminate the need for hard work by the patient. No bariatric surgery can cure obesity, which is a chronic, recurring disease. That doesn’t mean that succeeding with WLS means you’re sentenced to a lifetime of hard labor, dragging heavy chains and digging ditches, but it does mean that in the long term a successful patient is one who takes responsibility for his or her eating behavior, weight management, and general health. Reading the paragraph above may serve to shatter some illusions that you held dear, but when would you rather face the truth: early in your journey, or later? Although I was once a bandster like you, I lost my beloved band and recently converted to vertical sleeve gastrectomy. I have to tell you that despite all my advance research and preparation, the reality of living with a sleeved stomach is giving me a bad case of buyer’s remorse, but there’s no going back now. Seventy-five percent of my stomach is gone forever, but living with what’s left and finding a way to eat and to manage my weight now is an ongoing challenge. And I’ve heard countless stories from all kinds of bariatric patients about the challenges they face after surgery. Anyone who promises you a completely sunny picture of the future is either mistaken or trying to avoid bursting your bubble. BAND MYTHS There are a number of myths related to the adjustable gastric band. One of them is that slower weight loss with the band will prevent sagging or excess skin, and that just ain’t so. A more dangerous myth, peculiar to bandsters, is that fills cause weight loss and unfills cause weight gain. While fluid adjustments are an important part of how the AGB works,the fluid is NOT what causes weight loss. In fact, there is absolutely nothing in any part of the band system (the band, the tubing, and the port) that causes weight loss. The band does not directly affect the way nutrients from food are ingested or metabolized. It releases no weight loss instructions into the patient’s bloodstream, nervous system, or endocrine system. It doesn’t directly affect the patient’s eating behavior or exercise habits. It doesn’t compel the patient to make good food choices, limit portion sizes, eat slowly, or resist the urge to graze or binge because of boredom, stress, cravings, etc. Weight loss results from eating fewer calories than you burn, and the band helps with that by reducing your appetite and causing early and prolonged satiety. Those features are related to the pressure of the band against the stomach and the consumption of solid food whose mechanical digestion triggers the vagus nerves in the upper stomach to send satiety signals to the brain. If the patient ignores those signals, the calories taken in may exceed the calories burned, slowing or preventing weight loss. And since weight is affected by many other factors entirely unrelated to the band (like medications, hormone imbalance, etc. etc.), all we can do is to concentrate on the ones that are within our control and understand that it’s a fallacy to attribute weight loss to the band or to fills. One harmful consequence of the fills=weight loss myth is that the patient seeks more and more fills in the quest for “perfect restriction” (also a myth) or the legendary (but also mythical) “sweet spot.” This patient tends to tolerate side effects and eating problems that can cause serious damage to them and their band because they’re so focused on finding that perfect but elusive fill level and believes (erroneously) that the more fluid in their band, the better. When you suggest to this person that they may actually need less, not more fluid in their band (so that they can eat healthy, solid food instead of not-so-healthy slider foods), they react with panic, so aren’t able to make a good decision and may not even be willing to tell their surgeon about the eating problems they experience. Please don’t read this article thinking that my purpose is to discourage you. I’m the eternal optimist who believes in self-fulfilling prophecies. If you’re determined to lose weight and work hard at it, you can indeed use your band to reach your weight goal. The key phrase in that sentence is “work hard at”. There’s just no getting around that, so if your expectation is that you’ll lose weight effortlessly, you’re probably going to be disappointed in your band, yourself, or both. Your band can assist your weight loss efforts by providing early and prolonged satiety, but it’s not going to make good food choices, control portion sizes, make you exercise, be vigilant with aftercare, win you cash and prizes, or turn you into America’s next top model. On the other hand, believing that you will succeed and working hard to learn and change what you need to in order to lose weight will greatly increase your chances of becoming a bariatric superstar. And when stardom comes from hard work, it is much, much sweeter and longer lasting than stardom that falls at random out of the sky!

You should probably call your doctor or nutritionist, maybe they can give you more information or suggestions. The only thing I can think of is that you need an adjustment or that you are working out and gaining muscle which can cause weight gain or no change at all.

Happy Halloween! And now, to the important part: candy! More specifically, how are you going to avoid it this year? It can be staring you in the face at home as you get ready for trick-or-treaters, and at work as your coworkers bring in their leftovers. How are you going to pass up the sweet stuff this year? Are thoughts of weight gain, dumping syndrome, and guilty feelings enough to keep you away? Or do you need some more tangible strategies? Maybe you hand out a type of candy that you do not like, or arm yourself with a stash of frozen grapes to satisfy your sweet tooth during the evening. What are your plans this Halloween, and how are you going to “be good?” And, just for fun…what did a typical Halloween look like before WLS?

I'm sorry you're going through this. Stalls do happen and they can be very frustrating and disheartening. It's possible you're not getting enough liquids or enough protein. But you may be losing inches. Are you taking your measurements? You may be doing everything right and just be in a stall (gaining a pound could just be fluid retention or lack of a BM that day - not a true weight gain). If it keeps up for a while, reach out to your nutritionist and discuss. I would also keep a food log or track your calories and liquids on an app so you can discuss with your nutritionist. Good luck!

I was just thinking about my life and how many times I have lost weight. I then was wondering after losing the weight how often did I put it back on plus more...... After repetative weight loss and weight gain the final DIET I was on was the Adkins Diet and I lost 55 pounds and then after 6 months of losing I gained 75 pounds in 5 months. I couldn't take it anymore..... I truly believed that I was a lost case and just believe that I am supposed to be 251 pounds and DEPRESSED..... Whether it was the band or finally my 41 years at the time and the respect for life I began rethinking my health and how badly I wanted to live without medical issues. I have kept my weight off for almost 3 years and I think that I am finally cured of the addiction of food but I will still never trust myself. How many of you have finally realized the meaning of food and the necessity of it. Has this experience helped you with keeping your weight off? Are you still afraid of the past coming in front of your eyes again? Have you learned from the band or hve you just always relied on the fills to make you eat less? I am terrified to go backwards and to some (my family) they believe that I have become addicted now to the healthy life and only know how to promote that..... I have no right to judge anyone who is different than myself but if you question me about my experiences and my new found knowledge of healthy living I will promote it. Josephine

I'm not really sure how to interpret the words I made bold in the quote. Do you want to be maintenance as "natural" as possible or are you looking for ways to view "being strict" as a normal part of everyday life? If it's the later you can save your time and stop reading here. --- I personally think to maintain effortlessly (though I think "effortlessly" means something different for different people) you have to learn to ride certain dragons instead of trying to avoid them. You also have to find a lifestyle you can maintain without much hassle. You, not your neighbor, your colleague, Aunt Ruthie or the Instagram ab-girl that posts about a dozen selfies and food pics per hour so giving tips feels always a bit weird to me. You also need to be (emotionally) flexible enough to suit your needs in different situations, e. g. ideally you respond to phases of lower physical activity with less appetite, e. g. you usually ride your bike to work but during a few weeks in winter it would be too dangerous because of slippery roads and you go by train or car during these weeks. Are you willing to accept a temporary slight weight gain or do you want to seriously interfere with your eating habits and/or up your non-NEAT exercise? Learn to let go of the "tracking". How many thin people do you know in your life who give a flying f*ck about "tracking"? The only people I know who care about tracking calories and burnt calories are people who try to lose weight. You aren't. You want to maintain the status quo. Ask yourself who you want to be. "The WLS patient"? "The formerly obese person?", "The person who doesn't want to be obsessed with this stuff anymore"?, "The health and exercise nut who gets a nervous breakdown every time something interferes with her food or training schedule"? And then act on it.

It could be affecting your weight loss. I am diabetic as well, I was on insulin and 2 oral drugs. I only take Metformin now as the glimepiride does cause weight gain, as well as the insulin. I would talk to your doctor to see what you can do and if there is another med you can take instead. You are very lucky to have your A1C down so much. I am not there yet, but diabetes runs in the family, whether your heavy/thin.

Ok, first things first, when people ask you how much weight you have lost, tell them that is not what you are most interested in with the lap-band. Tell them you are first and for most interested in getting healthy and extending your life. We all know it is also to lose weight, but people shouldn't make you feel like a failure just because you can't report back a loss to them. What you lose or do not lost isn’t their business. We also all know the band can be tricky and finding that "sweet spot" takes some time, once you do though, there will be nothing holding you back. It sounds to me that you need another fill, no big deal. I wouldn't beat yourself up about the weight gain though. You have ONLY had 1 fill, don't worry you will be great! :tongue2:

50 pounds in 12 days? Is that a typo? The amount of calories one would have to eat to put on 50 pounds in 12 days is....not even doable, especially when sick, especially with a band. But still. I'm sorry for your complications and weight gain. Yes, I agree. Finding the weight loss rhythm and optimal fill level after having been unfilled has proven challenging, and perhaps ulimately impossible for me. I'm back to traditional good old dieting (willpower + hunger + calorie counting) just to maintain my loss. Very depressing.

All calories aren't equal. Sometimes it could be salt, sodium, water retention or carbs that cause that weight gain.

my date is july 10,iam a self pay and things are moving fast. but deep down i know iam ready. so tired of the yo yo weight gain .

Lots of people struggle with support. Only my husband knows I'm getting prepared for WLS and even he's been poo-pooing it. I don't need anyone else's opinions trying to derail my only shot at healthy living. Though, like has been said previously, being morbidly obese with no end in sight to the weight gain is definitely committing suicide by food. When it was put to me that way, it really got my attention. This forum is full of wonderful people who have all kinds of experiences. Immerse yourself as much as you need; we're all here to help and support each other. I found this great podcast from one of the threads called www.weightlosssurgerypodcast.com. Take a look at episodes 57 and 60 that talk specifically about the surgery and how to prepare for it physically and emotionally. I'm trying to get hubby to listen to them. Blessings

possible to gain 5 pounds in three days have my first fill two week ago no weight loss not gain 5lbs crazy omg Sent from my iPhone using LapBandTalk

Hello all, Let me just say, regaining the weight is very easy. When I was banded in 2010, I thought this was the cure all to weight loss. Bottom line, behavioral modification is the key. Prior to banding I was 270, I went down to 215. I was hospitalized periodically during the months of September 2012 through November for an Achilles tendon rupture. My weight is now fluctuating; 220-235; I gained weight! I am terrified to go to my physician because of my weight gain. He is aware that I was on strict bed rest, he explained, I could still do exercises while sitting up. He threatened to remove my band if I am not compliant. My fear is that my weight has been 215 for months prior to surgery. I have been drinking a lot of juice that is loaded with calories, I eat on the average per day of two cups of starchy food items, one palm size meat item, two cups of vegetables, and the rest is juice and coffee with cream and sugar. These food items are divided through the day. I am definitely not hungry. In all reality, I still should have lost weight! I last saw him in August, I was 215. Prior to surgery, I was doing spin aerobic three times a week. Now that I am on my feet and can walk, I walk 2-3 miles three times per week—the scale has not moved. What the heck do I do??? I need to get back on track. I am feeling like I went under the knife for what?

Heatwhip, I don't have any words of wisdom for you, just know you're NOT alone! scales went up 2 lbs over the weekend and are staying there right now. I'm doing my damndest to ignore it and just tell myself that the sleeve has worked for hundreds (thousands?) of people...it'll work for me/us, too! If nothing else, I look at the averages. I'm 3 weeks post-op...even with the weight gain, I've lost ~12 lbs...so that's 4 lbs/week. That's still really, REALLY good for me. You've lost 14 lbs in TWO weeks...or even if it's now 10 lbs, that's FIVE lbs per week. Prior to the sleeve, I bet you'd have been thrilled with that! So chin up, girl! Just keep doing what you're supposed to be doing, give it time, and you'll be thinner before you know it!

hi anyone.. i only just stumbled across this site.. i wasn't sure if i would be able to find anyone who could relate to me or would want to talk to me.. im 21, ive been morbidly obese for the majority of my child and teenhood. i suffer from Polycystic Ovarian Disease which is said to of caused the majority of my weight gain, Severe depression.. i say due to my weight as i have been fat since i was 4 and have seen a dietician since i was 9.. i feel so alone, my family some of whom are large but don't seem to go through the same thing i do, and i don't have many friends or a best friend that i can talk to. My parter of 14months is the closest thing i have and he just wants the best for me. after trying nearly every diet known to man, lapband is now the last resort. i am seeing a lapband specialist in two weeks after all other specialists for my back problems, polycystic and sleep specialists have reccommended. i am so scared as i have seen the negative side of the surgery in my moms ex best friend but also the positives in my partners mom. i am scared that i will not lose much weight by doing this and that is my greatest fear. i need to lose nearly 50kgs.. nearly half my body weight to be at what my dietician deems my optimum weight. i just wish i had someone to talk to so i didn't feel so alone despite the fact i know there are thousands apon thousands of people suffering aswell i just don't seem to be able to find any to talk to.. i would really love to hear stories from others and anyone interested in talking to me and guiding through the process.. I hope everyone is having a beautiful day and that things go great for you all! Kind regards, Sammy p.s. my email is missdillon@live.com.au and my msn is xox1misled_angelxox1@hotmail.com

I'm not sure what specifics are going on in your situation. Are you pre - op? How far out from surgery are you? Are you having a stall or weight gain? Pre op. Not so sure you can do anything to make your stomach smaller. If this is a stall. Look up breaking the stall on this site. Stalls are normal. If you feel your stomach may be stretched, contact your surgeon's office. Many arguments out there about the ability of stretching your surgery . I won't touch on that. Clean you out? I've heard of people doing a diet cleanse to start over a diet. Look into it if you feel it will be beneficial to you. It's normal to be able to eat more as you get further out from surgery. The restriction is still there. It's just different. Kind of a reboot is going back through a liquid or soft food stage for a week... Helps to notice the volume you are able to hold and where you feel restriction at this point of your surgery. Go back to bariatric basics to continue weight loss I still log my food. I eat high protein andI add as much veggies as I want. It helps me to feel full. It keeps my calories down and my weight loss is back on track. Hope you are doing well, Jenn

I am beyond frustrated with everything lapband related at the moment. I had my lapband about 6 years ago. I did okay at first and in all lost 62 lbs. Unfortunately that only brought me down to 220lbs so obviously I have a long way to go. With my goal weight being about 150 I still have a ridiculous long road ahead of me. That would not be a problem if my band was working for me, however, that is not the case. About a year and a half ago I was having restriction so much that I was throwing up in my sleep. Also, still not losing any weight which still boggles my mind. I went in reluctantly and had some of the fill taken out. I was under the impression that the Dr. only took a little out but I am starting to wonder. I have been back in about 4 times since to get a fill and have yet to notice ANY restriction. This is just not acceptable. The last time I went in he told me that I had the tightest fill that I have had since having my surgery. Obviously if I went from throwing up in my sleep to having no restriction at all then it doesn't take a rocket scientist OR A DOCTOR to figure out that something is not right !! The bad thing is is that I have told him that I am having problems and he has yet to do anything but want to give me another fill. Well I have gained 20+ pounds back so I almost feel like I am at the starting point again. This is beyond frustrating. Not only emotionally but add the fact that I am a self-pay patient and this has been a major expense for me. The way I look at it this was a major decision and it is what I consider a last resort. What do you do when your last resort fails miserably ? ? ? ?

I agree with everything Jachut said. Pull yourself up. Stop having a pity party and MOVE FORWARD!!! If you don't like the doctor; find another one! You are the customer. Stop them when they want to run out of the room quickly. I had to do this to mine. I had to say "Wait, I have more questions and if you've got something else to do, I'll be right here waiting for you when you finish!". They knew then, I was one they were going to have to take their time with. He turned around and smiled and asked, "What's on your mind?". I then began to tell them that I'm a 25% payer and I don't have the time to continuously come there for small fills and then file the claim, take off of work for both, etc., etc. SPEAK UP, they will listen! Build a rapport with whatever doctor you choose. You are so close to your goal ( according to your ticker). Don't you lose heart or hope. Remember, the band is a tool. No tool ever works unless you grab it and use it! We've all had setbacks. Join the club, honey. But, be a part of us who move past our setbacks, weight gain, and self sabotage. You can do this!

I had a breast reduction in 1992 when I was 18...went from a DD to a C cup. The recovery was quite painful and I was in the hospital for six days and resting for about 3 weeks. It was extremely painful to have the drainage tubes removed. That was NOT a fun part. My breasts were rock hard for a year or two then they started to lower and soften up. I would frequently have stabbing pains in my breasts...from what i understand that's just the nerves regenerating. My nipples are still sensitive; however the sides and undersides of my breasts are completely numb. In 2002 I had my first daughter, and she was a preemie, in the NICU for 3 weeks. That made it extremely difficult to exclusively breastfeed her as I had to keep battling the nurses not to give her formula, I also didn't live in town and I pumped and pumped and pumped but I could barely get anything out. She was very sleepy and had a poor latch. So basically when I got her home I breastfed her but supplemented with formula. I nursed her for 3.5 years. My one breast did not work that well, so I didn't get much milk out of it, but the other worked great, so I had hugely insanely lopsided breasts while lactating. My second daughter was born in 2004, no complications, and I exclusively breastfed her for almost a year and a half - no formula! I was so proud of myself!! I even tandem breastfed both daughters. So now, 11 or so years after my reduction and a 100 lb weight gain, they are a bit saggy but still perky. My scars are pretty bad, you can see the scars in my cleavage, and i have keloid scars underneath them. It was one of the best decisions I made in my life to have the reduction. They used to hang straight down and my nipples pointed to the floor. Now they are perky and round and with the weight gain they are back at a DD but I'm OK with that. Hope this helps!!! Robby

Do you know how strict they are on weight gain during Ur 6 months? Bc I have gained just found out I have under active thyroid and meds aren't adjusted yet so having a extremely hard time losing

I used to exercise a lot, and was very much into running; weight gain slowed me down then eventually stopped me due to pain and discomfort. But for me, it really gave me a lot of confidence and a sense of power and achievement. I would set goals for myself for how much I wanted to lift, how many reps, or the distance I wanted to run (I was never fast though--I'm built for endurance, not speed!). My biggest achievement was a half marathon. Besides being beneficial for my health, that's what it was--a way to strengthen myself inside and out, and to provide myself with a way to achieve if I just try. There aren't too many things in life that can give you that freedom and that kind of guarantee. I dearly hope I can get back to that eventually. It was a good 50 lbs. ago that I had to stop even walking due to pain. I never felt better about myself than when I finished a good run.